In 1926, a young dancer from the Channel Islands opened a studio near Pasadena and began teaching children to dance. A century later, the school she founded is still doing it — and still carrying the unmistakable stamp of its origins.
From Pavlova's studio to Southern California
Beatrice Collenette was born in 1899 on the island of Guernsey, a physician's daughter. As a young woman she made her way to London, where she studied under Anna Pavlova — the Russian ballerina who remains, a hundred years on, the defining icon of classical dance — and eventually performed with Pavlova's company. She trained alongside other legends of the form, including Enrico Cecchetti and Ivan Clustine.
After World War I she came to the United States, appearing on Broadway before settling in Southern California. In 1926 she established the Collenette School of Dancing. By 1936 her reputation had grown enough that she was teaching at the San Francisco Ballet, and around 1950 the school settled at its longtime home on Huntington Drive in San Marino.
A student named Twyla
The school's most celebrated alumna arrived in the 1950s. A young girl named Twyla Tharp — who would become one of America's most influential choreographers — traveled twice a week with her mother to study with Beatrice Collenette. The connection is more than trivia: it is a direct line between the classical tradition Collenette absorbed from Pavlova and the modern revolution Tharp would later help lead.
Beatrice herself lived to 102, dying in 2001. Her daughter, Joan Collenette Damon, carried the school forward for decades before retiring.
Four generations on
Since 2006 the school has been owned and run by Emily Bratmon, who grew up dancing there before training at the California Institute of the Arts and performing abroad. Her philosophy echoes the studio's founding mission. "Ballet is a fascinating art form which promotes life-long poise, discipline, exercise and confidence," she has written. The school keeps classes small and individual attention central — much as Beatrice did a century ago.
The enchanted forest at 100
The centennial was marked on June 7, 2026, with the school's annual recital, staged this year under the theme "Enchanted Forest" as a 100-year celebration. The performance gathered students across age groups, continuing a tradition of year-end showcases that Beatrice began.
For San Marino and the wider San Gabriel Valley, the Collenette School is one of those quiet civic institutions that outlast trends simply by doing the same thing well. For generations of children in this corner of Los Angeles County, Saturday mornings at the barre have been among their earliest memories — and, it seems, will be for the school's second century, too.
